Patent GB-106328-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Rotary Internal Combustion Engines.
Inventor: DEBNAM HENRY GEORGE
IPC: F02B57/10
Filed: 1916-05-18
Abstract: 106,328. Debnam, H. G. May 18, 1916. Fixed-abutment type; cooling parts; packing vanes; working-fluid supply; mounting and supporting.- The hollow radially-sliding vanes 3 of a rotary internal-combustion engine suitable for motor-vehicles, aircraft &c. are adapted to serve as valves for admitting the charge to the working chambers 7 and also as reciprocating piston-pumps for compressing the gas and circulating the lubricating-oil. The vanes 3 are kept in contact with the walls of the chambers 7 by cam grooves 5 in the casing engaging balls 6, Fig. 2, carried by the vanes, which are provided with spring-pressed packing pieces 22, 23. The chambers 7 exhaust through ports 26, 27. When six vanes 3 are employed, five may be used to compress gas into a reservoir 13, Fig. 1, and one to pump oil from a reservoir 29. The inner end of each gas-compressing vane works in a cylinder 16. Communicating with a vaporizer 17 through a passage 18 fitted with a non-return valve, an annular chamber 181, and a pipe 171. The chamber 181 communicates with a chamber 421 in the drum 1 carrying the vanes so as to admit gas into the drum for cooling purposes. The gas in the cylinder 16 is compressed by the vane past a valve 20 and through the hollow shaft 2 into the gas reservoir 13, which has a control valve adapted to cut off the supply from the vaporizer 17 when the pressure exceeds a certain limit. When the vane 3 is in its outermost position, the gas charge flows from the reservoir 13, through the shaft 2, a throttle valve 21, a passage 121, and ports 111, 11 into the vane 3 and out again through ports 12, 141, passage 14, and non-return valve 15 into the combustion chamber behind the vane, the charge being fired after the vanes have been slightly drawn inwards by the cam grooves 5 so as to close the ports 12, 11. Ignition is effected by devices of the kind shown in Fig. 15 placed at the points 471, Fig. 12, so that a spring-pressed member 47 carrying a ball 48 stands in the path of the vanes 3, which force the parts 50, 51 into contact and release the same on passing, causing an electric spark. To facilitate starting, inlets 54 may be connected to the gas reservoir 13. The vane 3 used for pumping oil works in a cylinder 30, Fig. 14, of the drum 1 and draws oil from the reservoir 29 through a non-return valve 32 and openings 33 into the cylinder 30. The vane on its inward stroke expels the oil partly through a passage 35 past a non-return valve 36 into a chamber 37 in the hollow shaft 2 and thence through a hollow rod 39 to an air compressor described below. The rest of the oil is delivered past a non-return valve 41 into an annular chamber 42 communicating with the other vanes 3 through ports such as 46, Fig. 12, the oil filling the chambers 9 of the hollow vanes, which have small apertures in the walls through which the oil passes for lubricating. When the pressure is excessive, a valve 44, Fig. 14, opens and allows the oil to return to the reservoir 29. For use with motor-vehicles an air compressor having similarly actuated sliding plungers 65, Fig. 1, is mounted on the hollow shaft and controlled by a clutch 64. Five plungers are used for compressing air, and one for circulating oil. Air is drawn through passages 67 past, a non-return valve 68 to cylinders 69, and expelled by the plungers past valves 70, 71 to a reservoir 72, which may be used to supply air for blowing up tyres or for other purposes. A passage 73 connects this reservoir with the hollow shaft, and the air passing through a block 75 presses a piston 76 against the action of a spring, so that, when a certain pressure is reached, the parts of the clutch 64 are separated and the compressor stopped. The engine may work as a Diesel engine, compressed air being admitted behind the vanes which operate a valve to admit oil. For mounting the engine on aircraft, Figs, 19 and 20, the casing 4 rotates while the drum remains stationary. The casing is carried on bearings 84, 85 in a frame 86 supported on ball bearings 87 and rotated with a hollow shaft 88. On the shaft 88 is a worm wheel 89 gearing with a worm 90 carried by a projection on a hollow shaft 93, which is mounted in bearings 94 fixed to the aircraft and has on it a worm wheel 95 gearing with a worm 96 actuated in any convenient manner. The engine can thus be turned in two directions relative to the aircraft. Gas is drawn from a carburettor 97 through the hollow shafts 93, 88 and an arm 98 of the frame 86 to the compressed gas reservoir 99. The carburettor 97 may be dispensed with, the gas being supplied to the shaft 93 or otherwise to the reservoir 99 from bottles containing compressed gas.